Church Recorders work as a team at a local church or place of worship. Our first project has been to research, document and photograph all the memorials, metalwork, stonework, woodwork, textiles, paintings, libraries and windows at St James’ Finchampstead.

Robin Simmonds, our complier, is in the final stages of gathering together the details of all the items and creating a single illustrated volume which will be presented to the church. In addition, copies will also go to the Victoria and Albert Museum Art Library and the Historic England Archive.

As well as being a source of tremendous pleasure and interest to Church Recorders and worshippers alike, Church Records serve a number of practical purposes. They are used by the church authorities as a complete furnishing record, by the police, who can use the accurate descriptions and photographs to identify retrieved stolen artefacts and by other researchers, including people tracing their family history.

The majority of our team of Recorders had never undertaken this type of work before but they have developed new skills and new friendships as a result of taking part. Once the work of describing St James has been completed there are plans to consider another project.